Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with two different camera sensors

It appears that as with previous Samsung flagship smartphones, the brand new Galaxy S8 and S8+ will, depending on region, come with different camera sensors. Since the launch users have spotted versions with Sony IMX333 and S5K2L2 ISOCELL image sensors. The latter is made by System LSI, which is a subsidiary of Samsung.

The situation is the same for the front camera. One version features a Sony IMX320 imager, the other comes with an ISOCELL S5K3H1 sensor. That said, there is no difference between the two versions in terms of camera specifications. In both main cameras the sensor is a 1/2.55" 12.2MP variant with Dual-Pixel AF. With an F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization the lens specification is identical as well. Sensor size in the front camera is not known at this point but all models come with an F1.7 aperture and face-detection AF.

Considering camera specifications are identical on all models and presumably so will be image processing, we should not expect any noticeable differences between the two versions, but if we get the chance, we'll try and find out if there is any variation in image quality.

Comments

Yes your correct samsung s8 has lots of variant i found an article about samsung S8 variants.

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ridiculous indeed ... by the way, care to provide me an example where two devices by the same manufacturer, having similar specked sensors would provide significant IQ differences?

And even more so in phone cameras, as the difference between processing are the most important ones. The differences between cameras (talking about the same gen sensors +/- 1) are almost insignificant.

The same generation sensors (+/- 1) have lots of difference in IQ. You can see that in the small action cameras. There's a couple chinese manufacturers churning out tons of them with more or less the same software and hardware, under different brands, but very slight variations, such as which sensor they use and max framerate (maybe due to readout speed of the sensor?).That said, samsung actually does make very good sensors, so I suppose there might not be much difference between the versions in this particular case.

well... see, exactly what i said, you contradicted yourself: having "more or less" same software means differences in processing - and in this area this is the most significant difference. Also having "different readout speed" ... or other hardware limits: slower CPU, slower memory, etc - means differences in SPECS, even if those specs are available to you or not.The thing with Samsung is that they have same memory/bandwidth/cpu power (though slightly different), same camera sensor and lens specs... exactly the same algorithms to process the images.

Compare for example cameras of samsung S6 (16MPx, F1.9, 28mm eq, released in early 2015) with camera of A5 2016 (13MPx, F1.8, 28mmeq, released late 2015) - a phone that i have, and this is why i give this example.Well, the software is probably pretty similar as well, as they didn't bother to make any improvements for a minor model. Guess what... it's really hard to make any differences, and i shot some side by side images to compare.

Huh? I didn't contradict myself. It is the same software, but of course there are minute differences wrt the sensor, and thus there has to be slight differences in the software as well. And I'm sure that the samsung sensor also has a different readout speed than the sony one, and works slightly differently, so there are some differences in the software that handles that.Anyway, I'm telling you that I agree with you that there probably is not very much difference in IQ in this particular case.

"Samsung Galaxy S8 delivered with varying camera sensors" This could be interpreted as delivered with a single sensor that varies its specifications with time.Maybe "Samsung Galaxy S8's single rear camera sensor comes from one of two sources."

If you're serious, I carry a LG pocket printer around with me - weighs nothing, about the size of a portable hard drive, and prints out 2x3s. Uses zink paper technology. Literally changed the way I view, use, and share photos. If you want best-possible print quality given portability restraints, Kodak and Skymall both do a mini-printer that prints out 2.1x3.4s using dye-sublimation tech (eg same as Canon Selphy).

zzzxtreme not a problem just charge and go - I've printed out over 400 shots w only a problem once when the paper didn't feed into the roller - took the paper out, reinserted and it was fine. LG has the "truest" colours out of those printers using zink, but they are for fun not profession so have moderate expectations! Also check battery life - my model needs recharging every 10 shots, others can be 20 or so.

Samsung is shippig their phones with a cheaper image-sensor to certain countries such as the UK. The reason is kept well hidden, but obvious... with all the bad wheather and rain, what would you photograph in the UK anyways?

Well, happy, smiling faces are extremely rare in Germany. I have heard of someone who was smiling for a while, but I would not trust that story.You know what, we are affected by the cheaper image sensors too, because Samsung discovered we tend to shoot only our lunch

I don't understand how such tiny camera phones produce pics so good compared to our orders of magnitude larger DSLR's etc. DSLR's should blow camera phones out of the water. Are we so bad as photographers that we can't exploit the advantages of DLSR's?

In good light, yes camera phones are great. But my aged D300 blows them all out of the water for low light, action, quick recompose, fast AF etc.

What mobile phones have I used? Samsung S7, Nexus 5, Nexus 6p, iPhone 6 and the new Pixel. All take nice pics...but put them in low light or action like basketball, hockey, etc and there is not contest; DSLR by a number of miles.

At 40 mph on a nice clean highway, my $20k car rides as good as any $100k truck. It doesn't mean we don't need trucks anymore.

You are taking the easiest task in photography of taking a snapshot and declaring that DSLR can't do anything better than that. They can do another twenty things that smartphones can't do. Doesn't mean you need those 20 things, just like not everyone needs a $100k truck.

Smartphone cameras have come quite a long and have utterly crushed the point and shoot industry and is chipping away at the advanced high end point and shoot cameras. My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is still my most used camera as its always with me.

That being. I'm made all to aware of the limitations of smartphone cameras just as in the same performance of point and shoots. I can't swap out lenses for that addictive bokeh nor for the ultra wide of an FF12mm lens. Second it won't trigger my strobes and relies entirely on the ambient light available which greatly limits my creativity.

Next is the actual sensore. It has a laughably narrow dynamic range without inducing HDR mode. Recovering shadows and highlights in post is a total pain and often totally unusable. Then there is low light. Not a single smartphone could get close to the ability of a professional camera. Long exposures is almost pointless without the ability to add ND filters unless shooting at night.

Overall smartphone cameras could never replace a professional camera but for what they are they are darn good. Shooting with a smartphone actually helps me become a better photographer due to its limitations. I'm actually a much better photographer using my pro gear bc of smartphones.

To newe: why compare trucks and cars? Because the result is the same - transportation of a load from point A to point B. The difference is only in the type of load and route conditions. Truck are designed to handle loads and route conditions that are not possible to handle with small cars. Same with cameras. DSLR's or MILC are designed to take pictures which are not possible to take with cellphones. That is so simple that I am starting to believe you are just yanking my chain for fun...

The difference between the best camera phone (maybe with a very few exceptions) and even the weakest DSLR with a cheap zoom lens is MASSIVE and whoever says there's little to no difference must be blind.

I'm not sorry. If you can't see the difference between the over-processed, over-sharpened, over-noise-reduced oil paintings that the phones produce, and what comes out of APS-C/m43/FF sensors, then yea you have to be blind. Even the 1" sensor cameras are towering above the toy 'sensors' in these phones. Heck even a lot of older compact cameras with regular small sensors make better photos (the good cameras, not the crappy ones).

Not saying a phone can't be enough for some people, but to say there is no difference is just stupid. And I usually don't even care for IQ all that much.

Thanks guys! So I guess what you are saying is that DSLR's etc. have been well and truly relegated to professional work. That leaves the wannabee-pro like me with a dilemma. Is the expense worth it? It's a rhetorical question.

BobT: It seems that times change. It used to be the case that amateur photographers loved to have different lens options, be it zooms, or different primes, wide angles, portrait lenses, macros etc. for different purposes, for learning techniques and just generally to enjoy the art of photography.

Now, apparently all that is deemed 'professional', while an 'amateur' doesn't need anything else beyond one semi-wide angle lens and a selfie camera.

Come on, really?

Yes, the expense is worth it. After all you can get a second-hand DSLR for as low as $100 including a kit zoom or two, and a couple more nice old lenses for $100 or so each. And you can use it for another decade (the lenses possibly for several decades), while any half-decent smartphone probably costs more than that and will be obsolete within a year.

What you should be to asking is whether it's worth it carrying the equipment, but again, the answer is yes if you care about photography at least a little bit.

Because cell phone cameras are "good enough" for the masses and they are "always readily available" to snap a pic. I finally left my dslr home on two vacations now. However, I still take my travel zoom, which is getting used less and less.

@dgmessenger and that's why i don't bother looking at the people's travel photos anymore because there are only 3 sorts: #1. a landscape (or cityscape, or a building or whatever fits into the standard ~28mm lens angle), #2. a tiny person in front of scene #1, #3 a horribly mangled selfie which is an inevitable result of taking a snap of someone's face from 1 meter away.

Say what you want but before the smartphone craze, before people would take a photo or 2 of something else while travelling, at least occasionally. And photos would generally be less crooked because with almost any camera you have at least some sort of grip to put your fingers on and don't take the picture by tapping on the display.

Lol... Funny how you started a bit of a storm with such a "silly" question.

The best thing to do I suppose is to actually take a cheap DSLR and a cell phone with a good camera and go test them out under different circumstances. Even during the day, indoors (out of the sunlight or close to a window) you will already see the difference.

And that is just with a "crappy" kit lens. Use a cheap prime like the plastic fantastic from canon and you wouldn't have even bothered asking this question. Physics being a physical limitation and all you will quickly learn that the little lens on a cell phone will simply not stand a chance in out performing one of the $500+ lenses on offer.

And that is just for static (none fast moving objects). If you hope to capture anything from a toddler to faster moving object with a cell phone and not have it look like a simple snap shot (when not blurry)... Good luck :-P.

IPhones haven't lead in cameras since the 4s. The only thing they can do better in some cases is video. But the new flagship androids mostly best it in still image and sharpness. DPR graded things besides picture IQ. Is picture IQ they lag behind. Once it gets dim out the 1/3.0 sensor just cannot compete with a 1/2.3 or 1/2.5 sensors.

@PhotoUniverse, DPR never reviewed the S7 for some reason (just checked under reviews and couldn't find it). Every other site/youtube channel that did review it that I've read either ranks it as one of the best or the best camera phone; i.e. it's second to none. My personal experience with my S7 and the iPhone 7 (which I have access to) backs that up as I find that the former produces better still images, especially in low light, and marginally better video. And the S7's focus speed/accuracy is in another league.

Think mobile phone producer's should be producing less imo...having a turnaround of every year/two in which to keep changing phones is bad practice...We should be changing every three years at the very least...

Well the S7 had the best cell phone camera ever released until the Google pixel. I'm sure this will be no different. There is an NDA right now on S8 reviews. So they are likely just guessing... I can guarantee it'll likely be the best camera for the first half of the year until the new pixel is released.

Really? :)) S7 has better camera than panasonic CM1, including 1 inch sensor? Lumia 1020, well, was much slower and had much worse AF, but had 2x higher real resolution, was better in low-light and had xenon flash.

I really don't understand, why is almost everyone repeating Samsung advert... (S7 is good camera phone, not really the best of all time)

lol...why fight over cell phone images? Latest gen Iphone or samsung or blah blah blah. Generally all in the same boat as far as I concerned. I would get that most of us on DPR don't use phones solely on their cameras.

Like I won't switch from apple to samsung for the camera... it is mostly a decision based on OS. After all I have a good camera and lens set, so anything critical will be taken with them. The rest... just snap shoots and for recording memories, so good enough is good enough.

First batch and Chinese version always comes with Japanese parts and later batches is luck of the draw. You can tell the Japanese parts are higher quality because Note 7 only use SONY sensor and when the battery started exploding, Samsung suspects bad battery only affected Korean made cells and not TDK cells in Chinese models.

First batch as in production batch, not availability date. The first batch may be made in January/February and sit in warehouse along with later batches to wait for the big demand in a March/April release.

I believe that ISOCELL is a proprietary Samsung design, so not a Sony design. It may be that Samsung's production capacity doesn't suffice, so they either outsource some of the production to Sony, or they use an existing Sony sensor with equivalent capabilities to their own ISOCELL sensor.

One day soon, DPR will be know at the go to site for smart phone reviews with the inevitable Gold Star rating for iphones and silver stars for Android phones. There will be a sister site for those few interested in camera only devices made for old people, funded by a grant from AARP.

@Pelasdf, yes I do and you do understand my point that in this future, it is the smartphone that is the main focus of DPR and that the camera sections will be the poor step child. You do understand my point right?

i have the S7 edge in UK with the Sony sensor. There is some differences in image quality compared to the isocell sensor. Although I'm not an Apple fan, at least the hardware is the same spec across all regions,Samsung choose different processors and sensors for the same model in various regions, no consistency. They should learn from their battery debacle. Also the Sony sensor supports video stabilisation whilst the isocell doesn't

Lol some of what you said is incorrect. The sensor designs are essentially the same. The white balance may be a little different, high iso performance may be a little different(Samsung sensor in the S6 was a little better vs Sony in high iso by like 1/16 of a stop). Literally not much of a difference.

Also all sensors supported everything they were supposed to. If one couldn't do video stabilization, the other was allowed to either. I've had 3 S7's my first had a Sony sensor, the other 2 had Samsung sensors. The features did not change. They all had the same features. The difference in image quality is something I have yet to notice.

the 1000 fps appears to have been just a rumor. My guess is that at least the Sony sensor is capable of doing it, but the fast frame rates are only used for the multi-frame processing and not for slow-mo video.

It's random, it's been this way since the S5. It doesnt matter which region. You don't know until you download the app needed to find out which one you have. After that, you now know... I guess... It doesn't really matter. I've had 3 S7's one with a Sony and 2 with the Samsung sensors. I haven't noticed any difference.

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